SAN JUAN (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers) – After an exactly six-year drought with no official FIBA games in the island, the Puerto Rican fanbase has had the opportunity to enjoy three games with their mens national basketball team this year as locals.

Puerto Rico’s Magnificent 12 — as the squad is known — are the sports team that seems to have the power to unite the more than three million inhabitants of this country. This is evidenced by the mystic-type energy that reigns every night at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum, a facility that is known as the basketball cathedral of the island and that has the capability to welcome around 10,000 fans.

With the new windows system of the FIBA World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers, the Caribbean squad has played at home on three occassions, thus maintaining their unbeaten record and filling the stadium to its maximum campacity by enthusiastic fans that wish to see their team live.

“I like it because I can watch my team,” said Edwin Colón — a 32-year-old fan who lives in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.

“Sometimes you miss the key games in the tournaments because we're working. (Now) we have the team come and play and we get to see other teams that perhaps I can’t constantly watch, such as Panama or Argentina. This enhances the fan experience. I'm a fan of my own, but as a sports enthusiast you also admire the rest of the teams.”

Meanwhile, Lizandro Rosario uses the opportunity to take his 10-year old son to the games and to meet the stars of the national sport.

“This is our pride, this is what represents us. He likes it and enjoys it. We come for him to see his country, Puerto Rico, playing. Right now his favorite is David Huertas. This is also the only chance we have to see Barea playing here,” he enthusiastically affirmed.

“The windows give us the opportunity to see them, since sometimes we couldn’t watch them play over here. People here are fans of all sports and when it's basketball everyone goes to the games because they're representing the island,” he added.

Neither did the traffic, nor the distance, nor the climate seemed to stop Puerto Ricans in their urge of sharing a special moment with their team. That is the case of 48-year old Joann Rodríguez, who lives at a considerable distance from the Coliseum and arrived two hours early to see the game.

“I think that for the Puerto Rican team it's very important to play at home because fans are that sixth man and that benefits them,” said the fan. “The people of Puerto Rico like the sport and I think that's one of the ways you can release some of the stress and have a good time with your family.”

About the Roberto Clemente Coliseum, she said: “This is the home of basketball here in Puerto Rico and, for me, it's excellent.”

Puerto Rico will see action at home once again on February 2019. On that occasion they will welcome Argentina on the 22nd and Uruguay on the 25th, in games that promise to be exciting and a complete success in ticket sales.

Emmanuel Márquez
FIBA